Chinese Herbal Medicine

New research concludes that acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine are “more effective than placebo or lifestyle modification in reducing body weight.” The researchers note that acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine have fewer side effects than the pharmaceutical obesity medications sibutramine, fenfluramine and orlistat yet the acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine demonstrate similar efficacy. The researchers note that the findings are qualified by the caveat of a small sample size of 4,861 acupuncture and herbal treatment subjects and 3,821 control group subjects.1
The authors note that, “The use of western anti-obesity drugs has been limited by side effects including mood changes, suicidal thoughts, and gastrointestinal or cardiovascular...